Grinding on the Palmecia
by decayingcodex
Summary: Sixteen hours! Rated T for violence and mild language. Oneshot.
I do not own Final Fantasy XIII. So, I've been aboard the Palamecia for like, the last two months and it occurred to me that the characters must be bored of fighting the same ten encounters over and over… but I need the gil, as it is hard to come by otherwise… So anyway, I found myself inspired.

Two PSICOM Huntresses flanked a Viking, and Hope and Fang had barely caught their breath before Lightning ran in, flicking her gunblade out as she charged. The pink-haired soldier leapt in and slashed at the leftmost huntress, then leapt back. The huntresses began to use their manadrives, buffing themselves. Hope threw a barrage of spells, but the huntress had a shell up in no time. Fang grit her teeth as she cast dispel, slowly chipping away the defenses that the huntress had lifted with the help of her manadrives. Lightning threw herself back into the fray, her blade slowed by the huntresses protect spell, but making contact nonetheless. She struck with three quick slahes, then did a backflip, her blade momentarily folding up to eject a bullet. The target glowed yellow again, and Fang called out, "That one's open, ya?" Hope nodded and launched another barrage, staggering the huntress. Lightning rushed in and slashed her from groin to sternum, launching her useless, broken body into the air. She then turned to the other huntress, whom was already glowing from Fang's dispelling spell.

"Hit her!" Lightning roared, running to continue the assault. The trio of l'Cie fought tooth and nail, until at last the second huntress lay on the ground, bleeding out. "Good shit, guys. Let's switch it up. Hope, keep that up, Fang, go hit it!" Lightning called, focusing on the Viking as it stood towering, its arm emitting a fiery blade. She focused her magic into her blade, and adrenaline shot through her as she felt electrical sparks crackle across her weapon. She smirked as she tore at her opponent, and soon, the mechanical enemy had been staggered. Fang launched it into the air, and Lightning shifted her paradigm again, and leapt up to help. The Viking fell to the ground in pieces, smoldering.

Hope raised a cry of elation as he fell to his knees, out of breath. Lightning sheathed her gunblade and looked ahead. The corridor ended with a hallway that soon turned and led beyond her sight.

"Alright. Let's go back." The soldier said, turning on her heel and walking with a fast clip.

"Wait! Why?" Fang asked, still breathing heavily.

"What do you mean?" Lightning turned and glared at Fang and Hope, the latter of whom had not regained his footing.

"I mean, we've been on this goddamned ship for like, sixteen hours and we haven't made it out of this hallway. Somehow the hallway keeps filling up with soldiers and big blue machines, and you keep talking to those crazy floating screens. What's going on here, soldier-girl?" Fang all but yelled.

"Well… So, I figured out how to upgrade my gunblade." Lightning said, clasping her hands behind her and staring at her boot. "But, it's really expensive, and I noticed that the humans we kill keep dropping their credit and incentive chips. That's how they get paid, you know. So, I figured if they were just going to keep coming, maybe we should hang out here awhile."

"Can we upgrade my boomerang?" Hope asked, rising.

"We're going to be here forever!" Fang whined, punching the corridor wall.

"We can upgrade your lance… What do you say?" Lightning said, looking up at Fang and almost (Almost, mind you) pleading with her. Fang was struck suddenly, by the pink-haired woman's soft tone, coy smile and long eyelashes. She had only known her since they had fought off the army in that crazy town, Palumpolum, a few days prior… But every time she looked at her it was a little harder to breathe. Fang groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Lead the way then, soldier girl."

Snow came up to meet them, waving as he ran up to them.

"Hey guys, your hero's back! And that bathroom? Totally not a bathroom. These guys just keep coming. It's nuts. Why are we going back?" Lightning glared at the friendly giant and huffed before muttering,

"Dead end."


End file.
